By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PORTSMOUTH — Tight games call for clutch performances.

The Coal Grove at Portsmouth Lady Trojans was a tight game and the Lady Hornets made clutch plays to go with clutch pitching in a 2-1 Ohio Valley Conference win on Wednesday.

Portsmouth (7-11, 5-4) took a 1-0 lead in the first as Bailey Waughtel tripled and Katie Ankrom singled to start the inning.

Ankrom shut down the Lady Hornets for 4 innings only to have Coal Grove tie the game in the fifth on singles by Kendall Taylor, Brianna Malone and Izzy Kitts.

The Lady Hornets (10-3, 7-1) got the winning run in the top of the seventh with one out.

Malone singled and went all the way to third base on an error. Deeds then helped her own cause by hitting a sacrifice fly to center field.

Deeds set the Lady Trojans down in order in the bottom of the inning with a strikeout, ground out and a strikeout.

Deeds got the complete game with a 2-hitter. She struck out 13 and didn’t walk a batter.

Kitts was 2-for-3 with an RBI for Coal Grove. Mia Haynes, Katey Vanderhoof, and Kendall Taylor all went 1-3.

Ankrom went 7 innings, gave up 7 hits, one earned run and recorded 10 strikeouts and 5 ground outs.

Coal Grove 000 010 1 = 2 7 2

Portsmouth 100 000 0 = 1 2 1

Abbie Deeds and Rylee Black. Katie Ankrom and Caitlyn Galloway. W-Deeds (IP-7.0, H-2, R-1, ER-1, K-13, BB-0).  L-Ankrom (IP-7.0, H-7, R-2, ER-1, K-10, BB-2). Hitting-Coal Grove: Abbie Deeds RBI, Izzy Kitts 2-3 RBI, Mia Haynes 1-3, Kasey Vanderhoof 1-3, Kendall Taylor 1-3, Brianna Malone 2-3; Portsmouth: Bailey Waughtel 1-3 3B, Katie Ankrom 1-3, Caitlyn Galloway RBI.